Sorting machine for statistical cards or the like



July 12, 1932. 1.. E. BROUGHAM 1,366,748

SQRTING MACHINE FOR STATISTICAL CARDS OR THE LIKE Filed Jan. 10, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 1-,

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July 12, 1932. 1.. E. BROUGHAM SORTING MACHINE FOR STATISTICAL CARDS OR THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan 10, 50

INVINYPPP' I oo 00 000 (a OOOOOOOOm 0000 0000 0000 000 om m m 0000 00000 A FTWFNEY- July-12,1932. E. BROUGHAM 1,865,743

SORTING NlAUJI'iINE FOR STATISTICAL CARDS OR THE LIKE Filed Jan. 10, 1930 S- Sheets-Sheet 5 IN vnvra: 4:541: [pm-s1- 5:00am PEF-"" Patented July 12, 1932 UNETED STATES ENGLAND PATENT OFFICE.

LESLIE ERNEST BROUGHAM, OF THORNTON HEATH, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOE TO THE Ace COUNTING & TABLTLATING CORPORATION. 013 GT. BRITAIN LIMITED, OF LONDON,

SORTING MACHINE FOR STATISTICAL CARDS OR THE LIKE Application filed January 10,1930, Serial No; 419,975, and in Great Britain January 21, 1929.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine whereby all cards bearing the required designation are sorted out and delivered While the remaining cards remain in their original order. r

A further object of the inventionis to pro? vide a machine whereby all cards bearing a numerical, alphabetical or like sequential designation lying between any two given designations are sorted out and delivered.

According to the present invention statistical cards are sorted by withdrawing from a stack only those cards bearing a particular designation thereby leaving undisturbed the sequence of the remaining cards which do not bear this deslgnation.

For example, only those cards may be withdrawn from the stack which bear a numerical, alphabetical or like designation, lying, within limits, between any two numbers or letters, the cards which are not withdrawn being rejected without their order being disturbed.

Conveniently, a sorting machine according to the invention comprises sensing pins adapted to sort on a plurality of columns simultaneously, whereby all cards bearing the required designation are sorted out and delivered while the remaining cards remain in their original order.

and that a group of numbers up to 8, that is, one in each column, is employed for selection purposes, a loose pm 1s lnsertedfin. the

hole of a column according to. the number'of the column on the card. k

Supposing, for instance, the number is 12345, there will be no pins in. the three left hand columns, in the fourth column from the left'there will be a pin'inserted at line numbered 1, in the fifth column a pin in the line numbered 2, and in the sixth, seventh and eighth columns from the left a pin in the lines numbered 3, 4 and 5 respectively. a

Each of the pins is notched or similarly formed for engagement by a latchto retain it in fixedrelation with they bed plate.

The bed plate is mounted foireciprocation in the machine, and means are provided. so

that on the fall of the bed plate the loose pins are locked to the bed plate.

Conveniently,'the lock may be in the form of a shutter which slides into the notch. or its equivalent on the pins, thereby preventing box. I v i When such a device is lowered on-to a card which is desired to be selected, that ishaving the number 00012345, the loose pins pass through the perforations in the card and-remain in the original position relative to the bed plate, and whilst being lowered they are engaged by the shutter so that. on the continued downward movement, they become fixed with the bed plate to operate-as plungers in manner hereafter referred to. i

If the bed'plate with the loose pins in it is allowed to fall on to a card which 1s not perforated in the manner'required for selection, one, some or all of the pins will be raised relative to the bed plate and form an obstruction to the shutter moving so that those pins that pass through the card are not locked. and

hence all the pins are prevented from oper ating as plungers.

The timing of the shutter: is such that it them rising or falling relatively to the pin h does not operate until the pins have reached the card to be sensed so that the raising of any pins automatically ensures that none of thepins will operate as a plunger, whilst when the pins have passed through the card the shutter engages them all if they have all passed through the card because they remain in normal position; the pins are then locked and become plungers; the arrest of the shutter by a raised pin, however, leaves them free and substantially floating members.

The invention may be carried out in various ways but one construction according thereto .is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which the attachment according to the invention is shown applied to a sorting machine'of the kind employing a carriage tion adjustable onrailsmarked to correspond to columns on the cards, the carriage carrying a single row of pins of which the number is equal to the number of lines in a column. In thedrawings: 1 Figs. land 2 illustrate the sorting machine in elevation and in plan respectively;

'Fig. 3 is an extended view of a portion of the machine showing the attachment in posi- Figs. 4, 5 and Gillustrate the attachment itself in side elevation, in plan and in end elevation respectively;

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are fragmentary views 7 showing some of the pins in various positions; and V Fig-10 illustrates a portion of the lock plate showing three pins insection.

In these figures the normal carriage of the machine'is not shown inorder to make the drawings clearer, but-in practice this carriage is moved along the-rails to a position in which it will be out of the way of the attachment.

In the construction illustrated in the drawings: the machine is provided with a frame comprising end brackets 1 and guide rails 2 for the carriage. Each of the brackets 1 is connected to an eccentric 3 whereby the frame together with the carriage is reciprocated in synchronism with the feeding ofa 7 card between two perforated plates 4, 5. each including as many perforations as it is possi- 1 gage with a ratchet member which then locks any pin which has passed through a of a particular compartment 10 of the sorting machine. There is a compartment 10 to each of the plungers 7 and timing means are introduced between the flap operating means and its actuation through the respective plunger 7 sothat the particular flap 9 of the compartment opens for the reception of the card at the exact moment when the card will arrive at that flap.

When the flaps 9 are closed they form a continuous platform for the card to pass over the compartment. Accordingly, then there is arranged in alignment from the sensing apparatus a platform constituted by a succession of flaps 9, each of which forms the top of a compartment 10, and each flap is operated after an elapse of time from the actuation of its particular plunger 7 accord.- ing to its distance from the sensing box.

The cards are fed from a hopper 11 by a picker to the senser and are carried over the flaps forming the tops of the compartments by a sequence of rollers termed carry rollers 12, a pair for each compartment, one of each pairengaging the card near each end so that the cards pass laterally from the senser to the endof the machine and can fall squarely into any compartment. Conveniently the shaft 13 of each pair of carry rollers is provided with gear 14; driven from a shaft 15 herein referred to as the carry roll driving shaft.

It is preferred to cover the rollers with rubber bands, and also to gear the first pair of rollers from the feeder so that its speed is greater than the speed of'the second set of rollers and the rollers ejecting the card from the senser; it is found this adjustment of vided with a platform 16 which is spring sup ported and falls according to the weight of the cards within the compartment until a predetermined number has been received when the tray arrives at a position at which it operates means to stop the machine.

Conveniently, a stop device operative when a compartment is filled, such as shown in Lasker No. 1,485,861, may be provided.

Now, in using the normal carriage on such a machine for sorting cards, the sensing pins are disposed over one column, and accordingly' only as many different types of card as there are pins in the column can be sorted at one and the same time, and these are stacked in the respective compartments by the automatic operation of the flaps 9 which deflect the card from the passage over'the compartments 10 into the right compartments.

The effect of so sorting the cards is to stack them according to, for example, the unit member and the process of sorting the stacks so formed has to go on by the tens number and the hundreds number and so on,

until the predetermined cards are selected from the stacks.

It will be seen therefore that in the process of selecting particular cards, the originally selected cards are in fact again mixed up to some extent. Certainly, they are not now in the original order, but by the application of the sorting device involving group sensing according to the present invention, particular cards can be selected from a stack without in any way otherwise disturbing the stack.

lVhen using the attachment according to the invention the normal carriage is pushed along the rails 2 out of the way and the attachment placed in position on the rails.

The attachment comprises a pin box 17 having a perforated bed plate 18 of which i the holes correspond to the columns of a card. This bed plate is preferably of only relatively small width so as to cover what is known as a zone of the card, although, of course, bigger plates may be employed. The columns are arranged so as to provide lines of holes at right angles to the columns and these lines are preferably numbered to correspond to the numbers of the similar lines on the cards.

As already explained a group of numbers is employed for selection purposes and a loose pin B is inserted in the hole of a column according to the number of the column on the card. If it is desired to select for example all cards bearing the number 12345 the pins B will be disposed as indicated in Fig. 5.

Each of the pins B has formed therein a notch B and below the bed plate 18 is disposed a second perforated plate 19 to maintain the pins in the proper relative relation to the bed plate, whilst the pins are formed with a shoulder B so that when dropped in through the bed plate the shoulder B engages the lower plate 19 and the notch B in the pin is raised above the bed plate to an extent sufiicient to enable it to be engaged by a shutter or lock plate 20.

This shutter is provided with a number of oblong holes corresponding to the holes in the bed plate 18 and is moved along the surface of the bed plate by means of hell cranks 21 acting through springs 22, the bell crank being tripped by an abutment 23 (Fig. 1) on the frame of the machine each time the pin box descends and returned to normal position by means of springs 24 when the pin box is raised. Thus, when the setting of the pins B in the pin box corresponds to the arrangement of holes in a card all the pins will pass throughthe card when the pin box descends and the notches B will retain their positions relative to the bed plate 18 thus permitting the holes in shutter 20 to engage them and look all the pins to the bed plate. If on the other hand the arrangement of holes is different from the setting of the pins, all the pins will not pass through the card and one or more will consequently be raised thus preventing the shutter from locking any-of the pins.

Above the bed plate. 18 is disposed a boxlike cover 25 hinged at26 and comprising top and bottom plates 25a, 25b, which are.

engagement by spring pressed plungers 29 carried on upstanding supports 30 at the side of the bed plate 18. a

The connection ofthe carriage to the rails is achieved by forming slots 31in each end of the attachment at one side so that it can be dropped over the rails 2 and straddle them, similar slots being provided at the other side and provided with spring controlled claws 32 which are withdrawn for the engagement of the attachment and then released to hold the attachment on the rails. One of the rails is circular in cross section and the claw 32 which engages therewithhas a circular contour. The other rail, however, has a flat surface providedwith teeth 2a and the claw '32 which embraces it has a flat surface 32a to engage between two teeth on the rail so as to hold the attachment in th required position. 1

In operation the bed 6 carrying the row of plungers 7 is brought beneath onecolumn of holes in the bed plate 18, e. g.'the fourth column from the-top in Fig. 5. The actual column selected is unimportant but it must be one in which'there is disposed a pin. Then all the cards bearing the number to be selected will be deposited in the compartment '10 corresponding to the particular hole of the column in which a pin is inserted.

F or example, in the particular case illustrated in Fig. 5 where the selected number, is 12345, if the plunger bed 6 is brought beneath the fourth column from the top, then when a card bearing that number is beneath the pin box the descending pins will all be' locked. The only active pin, however, will be that'in the column beneath which the plungers lie, and as the'pin is in hole No. 1 of that column, the plunger operating compartment No. 1 will be actuated and consequently all cards bearing the number 12345 will be selected and stacked in compartment No. 1. Cards other than those desired to be selected passing under the sensing box will cause one or more of the pins to be raised and the gripping of the raised pins by the shutter in inoperable position, whilst the other pins, not being locked by the shutter, remain loose, and hence also are inoperable, so that none of the plungers will be operated and the cards will passover the top of the compartments to any receiving devices at the end of the apparatus.

The plunger bed 6 slides on guides 6a of which one is toothedand a U shaped spring latch 33 is provided on the bed 6 to engage with the toothed guide 6a to lock the bed 6 in position. When the normal carriage is in use this latch is set by a member on the carriage being released and depressed to en- This key is provided with a forked end having arms 34a, 34b of which the arm 34?) is again forked so as to constitute prongs 35. In use the key is inserted between the ejector rollers of thesensing box and the first rollers of the conveying system over the compartments, in such a way that the edge of the arm 34 bears on the edge 6?) of the plunger bed 6. By tilting the key about the edge as a pivot the prongs 35 engage with the edges 3300f the latch so as to depress the latter out of engagement with the toothed guide 6a.

By the present invention no alteration is.

made in the sorting machine of the form hereinbefore described as known and the provision of the attachment provides a means of utilizingthe machine for the particular purpose of selecting a particular set of cards without disturbing the others.

In attaching the device it is merely necessary to slide the existing carriage having the single column of sensing pins to one side or the other and then attach the device over the perforated plate at the area where the selecting zone for the cards is disposed.

The use of the attachment, however, is not confined to the selection of cards bearing one certain number from the rest of the pack,

but it can also be used to select all cards within a certain range of numbers. For excards bearing corresponding numbers are delivered into one box, while all the remaining cards are delivered into a reject box with out their original order being disturbed. The whole operation can be performed at one passage of the cards through the sorting machine.

The attachment as described is capable of selecting a number up to eight figures and of dealing with one or more holes in one column, if desired, or of selecting by utilizing a group of pins, however arranged, for instance the pins may be disposed to form a device'or letter of which the counterpart has been punched on a card as an identification or selection mark.

To effect the selection of a group of cards from a stack, notched pins B, as hereinbefore described, are used in conjunction with pins A which have a longer notch or are of reduced form for sufficient depth as at A (Figs. 7, 8 and 9) to permit them to be raised and not interfere with the movement of the shutter.

In such an arrangement, therefore, there would be two forms of pins, the type of pin A of the reduced form which has just been described and which, when raised, still per-v mits the movement of the shutter, and the type of pin B which has previously been referred to as the notched pin,.but normally obstructs the shutter; such pins may be provided with locating shoulders A for disposing them in normal position in the same manner as 'the 'notched pins, hereinbefore de scribed, are formed.

Considering Figs. 7, 8 and 9 it will be seen that both in the normal position, i. e. with all the pins down (Fig. 7) and also when all pins are up (Fig. 8) the shutter 20is prevented from locking any of the pins. When, however, the pins'A are up and the pin B down (Fig. 9) the notches are in a position to allow the shutter to lock the pin B.

Now, supposing that a selection is required to bemade fromthe numbers 51 to 57 and that each column on the card is of standard form and the bed plate corresponds. In the units column the pins A will be inserted in the units holes not required for selection, and in the tens column a pin B will be inserted inthe hole number 5. The plunger bed 6 will be placed beneath the tens column.

Supposing, now, a card with a perforation 54; passes under it, the notched pin B in the tens column will pass through the card and the pins A in the holes not being selected will be raised, but in view of their reduced form the shutter is permitted to lock the notched pin B in the hole 5 of the tens column. This will cause an operation of the corresponding plunger in the bed beneath the carriage,'the

actuation through the mechanism already described of the flap covering the particular compartment, and the disposition of the card in that compartment.

- Supposing, now, a card with the number 58 is passing under the device, the pin B will pass as before through the hole, and as pins A are in the holes not being selected a pin A will also pass through the card at the hole B. Now, in this position a pin A prevents the shutter from moving, consequently, the pin B, though passing through the perforation in the card, remains a loose and inoperative member. Consequentially, there will not be a sorting operation and the card will pass through to the reject compartment.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the modified form of the attachment in which pins are used in holes not being selected in combination with pins used in holes which are being selected, permits a very variable sorting operation to be effected without in any way otherwise affecting the original stacking of the cards being sorted.

By the present invention a device including loose sensing pins automatically locked or automatically maintained free according to whether they are engaged by a card to be selected or not is provided. The construction described, however, is given by way of example only though it be the preferred embodiment thereof; changes may, however, be made in the mechanism without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly the invention is not limited to the construction herein described.

For example, if a selection is being made of one particular card or group of cards, there need only be one compartment for the reception of the selected cards and consequently a timing device need not be incorporated. If, however, multiple sorting is required in the manner hereinbefore described, then it is preferred to employ a sorter in which the cards are pulled over a conveying system consisting of flaps which form the lids of a plurality of compartments in conjunction with timing gear for operating the flaps as the particular cards are eliminated. cards not eliminated, of course, will pass over the conveyor system and be restacked in their original order.

Although Bowden mechanism has been referred to as the means for actuating the timing devices in the sorter, other mechanical mediums may be employed, as for instance, compressed air or negative pressure in which case the plungers, instead of operating a Bowden cable may be in the form of pistons controlling the admission of the pressure or negative pressure as the case may be to the operative members.

What I claim is 1. In a sorting machine the combination with removable sensing pins disposed in a plurality of columns, whereby a particular group of perforations in a card may be sensed, a perforated bed plate through which the pins are adapted to pass, means for reciproeating the bed plate in the machine, means for locking the pins to the bed plate when they allpass through perforations in a card, and means whereby when a particular group of perforations is selected the card causing the selection is sorted out and delivered.

2. In a sorting machine the combination with removable sensing pins disposed in a The r plurality of columns, whereby a particular group of perforations in a cardmay be sensed, a perforated bed plate through whichthe pins are adapted to pass, means for recipro-- cating the bed plate in the machine, means for locking the pins to the; bed plate when they all pass through perforations in a card, a compartment -to receive, the card selected, mechanism for opening said: compartment,

and means whereby when the pins are locked compartment to receive the card selected,

mechanism for opening said compartment, a plunger disposed beneath one of said pins and an operative connection between said plunger-and said mechanism, whereby when the pins are locked to the bed plate said plunger and mechanism are operated.

4. In a sorting machine the combination of a reciprocating bed platehaving holes corresponding to the columns ofa card,a plurality of notched pins adapted tobe placedin the holes in the bedplate, means whereby the pins are locked to the bed plate whentheyall reciprocate with it and means whereby if any pin does not move with the bed plateall the pins are prevented from beinglocked.

5. In a sorting machine the combination of a reciprocating bed plate having. holes corresponding to the columns of a card, a plurality of notched pins adapted tobe placed in the holes in the bed plate inpositions corresponding to the perforations in the card to be selected, a. shutter adapted to engage with the notches and lock the pins to the bed plate when all the pins have passed through perforations in a card and means whereby ifany pin is raised by the card owing to there being no perforation to receive it, the shutter is prevented from looking anypinr 6. In a sortingmachine the combination of a reciprocating bed plate having holes corresponding to thecolumns of a card, a plurality V of notched'pins adapted to be. placed in the holes in thebed plate in positions 'correspond- 7 ing to the perforations in thecard to be selected, a shutter adapted to engage with the notches and lock the pins to the bed plate when all the pins have passedthrough perforations in a card, means whereby if any pin is raised by the card owing to there'being no nection between said plunger and saidmech 7 In a sorting machine the combination of a reciprocating bed plate having holes corre-' sponding to the columns of a card, a pin having a relatively small notch placed in a hole in the bed plate corresponding to each of the digits higher than the units position in the numbers to be selected, a pin having a longer notch placed inthose holes in the bed'plate corresponding. to the units of the numbers not to be selected and means whereby the pins with the smaller notches are locked to the bed plate when all said pins pass through a card and all the pins with the longer'notches are raised by a card, whereby all cards may be selected which bear numbers between two given numbers of which the digits in positions higher than the units position. are the same.

8. In a sorting machine the combination of a reciprocating bed plate having holes corresponding to the columns of a card, a pin having arelatively small notch placed in a hole in the bed plate corresponding to each of the digits higher than the units position in the numbers to be selected, a pin having a longer notch pla'ced'in those holes in the bed plate corresponding to the units of the numbers not to be selected, a shutter adapted to engage with the notches and lock the pins to the bed plate when all the pins with the smaller notches are in their normal positions and all the pins with the longer notches have been raised by a card, and means whereby the shutter is prevented from looking any of the pins when any of the pins having a smaller notch is not in its normal position.

- 9. In a sorting mach'ne the combination of a reciprocating bed plate having holes corresponding to the columns of a card, a pin having a relatively small notch placed in a hole in the bed plate corresponding to each of the "digits higher than the units position in the numbers to be selected, a pin having a longer notch placed in those holes inthe bed plate corresponding to the units of the numbers not 'to be selected, a shutter. adapted to engage with the notches and lock the pins to the bed plate when all the. pins with the smaller P notches are in their normal positions and all the pins with the longernotches have been raisedby a card, and means whereby the shutter is prevented from locking any of the pins when any of the pins having a longer notch is not raised." I

10; In a sorting machine the combination "of a reciprocating bed havingholes corresponding. to the columns of a card, a pin having a relatively small notch placed in a hole in thebed plate correspon'ding to each of the digits higher than the units position in the numbers'to be selected, a pin having a longer notch placed in those holes in the bed plate corresponding to the .units of the numbers not to beselected, a shutter. adapted toengage with. the notches and lock the have been raised by a card, means whereby the shutter. is prevented from locking any of the pins when any of the pins having a smaller notch is not in its normal position, a compartment to receive the card selected, mechanism for opening saicl'compartment, a plunger disposed beneath one of the pins having a smaller notch, and an operative connection between said plunger and said mechanism, whereby when the pins with the smaller notches are locked to the bed plate said plunger and mechanism are operated.

11. In a sorting machine the combination of a reciprocating bed plate having holes corresponding to the columns of a card, a pin having a relatively small notch placed in a hole in the bed plate corresponding to each of the digits higher than the units position in the numbers to be selected, a pin having a longer notch placed in those holes in the bed plate corresponding to the units of the numbers not to be selected, a shutter adapted to engage with the notches and lock the pins to the bed plate when all the pins with the smaller notches are in their normal positions and all the pins with'longer notches have been raised by a card, means whereby the shutter is prevented from locking any of thepins when any of the pins having a longer notch is not raised, a compartment to receive the card selected, mechanism for opening said compartment, a plunger disposed beneath one of the pins having a smaller notch, and an operative connection between said plunger and said mechanism, whereby when the notches are locked to the bed plate said plunger and mechanism are operated.

12. For use with a sorting machine an attachment comprising areciprocating bed plate having holes corresponding to the columns of a card, a plurality of notched pins adapted to be placed in the holes inthe bed plate in positions corresponding to the erfo'rat-ions in the card to be selected, a shutter adapted to engage with thenotches and lock the pins to the bed plate when all the pins have passed through perforations in a card and means whereby it any pin is raised by the card owing to there being no perforation to receive. it, the shutter is prevented from looking any pin.

I 13. For use with a sorting machine an attachment comprising a reciprocating bed plate having holes corresponding to the columns of a oard,'a plurality of notched pins adapted to be placed in the holes in the bed plate in positions'corresponding to the perpins with the smaller forations in the card to be selected, a shutter adapted to engage with the notches and lock the pins to the bed plate when all the pins have passed through perforations in a card, means whereby if any pin is raised by the card owing to there being no perforation to receive it the shutter is prevented from looking any pin, a compartment to receive selected cards, mechanism for opening said compartment, a plunger disposed beneath one of the pins, and an operative connection between said plunger and said mechanism whereby when the pins are locked to the bed plate said plunger and mechanism are operated.

14:. For use with a sorting machine an attachment comprising a reciprocating bed plate having holes corresponding to the columns of a card, a pin having a relatively small notch placed in a hole in the bed plate corresponding to each of the digits higher than the units position in the numbers to be selected, a pin having a longer notch placed in those holes in the bed plate corresponding to the units of the numbers not to be selected and means whereby the pins with the smaller notches are locked to the bed plate when all said pins pass through a card and all the pins with the longer notches are raised by a card, whereby all cards may be selected which bear numbers between two given numbers of which the digits in positions higher than the units positions are the same.

15. For use with a sorting machine an attachment comprising a reciprocating bed plate having holes corresponding to the columns of a card, a pin having a relatively small notch placed in a hole in the bed plate corresponding to each of the digits higher than the units position in the numbers to be selected, a pin having a. longer notch placedin those holes in the bed plate corresponding to the units of the numbers not to be selected, a shutter adapted to engage with the notches and lock the pins to the bed plate when all the pins with the smaller notches are in their normal positions and all the pins with the longer notches have been raised by a card, and means whereby the shutter is prevented from locking any of the pins when any of the pins having a smaller notch is not in its normal position.

16. For use with a sorting machine an attachment comprising a. reciprocating bed plate having holes corresponding to the columns of a card, a pin having a relatively small notch placed in a hole in the bed plate corresponding to each of the digits higher than the units position in the numbers to be selected, a pin having a longer notch placed in those holes in the bed plate corresponding to the units of. the numbers not to be selected, a shutter adapted to engage with the notches and lock the pins to the bed plate when all the pins with the smaller notches are in their normal positions and all the pins with the LESLIE- ERNEST BROUGHAM. 

